The Associates

Alan Rankine of The Associates Dead At 64

by Paul Cashmere on January 4, 2023

Alan Rankine, the co-founder of Scottish rock band The Associates, has died at age 64.

The Associates released four albums between 1980 and 1990. Rankine left the band in 1982 after the second album ‘Sulk’. That album featured their best-known song, the Top 10 UK hit ‘Party Fears Two’.

Rankine initially went behind the scenes after leaving the band and became a producer but then started a solo career in 1986, releasing three albums through until 1989’s ‘The Big Picture Sucks’.

After that he became a lecturer at Stow College, Glasgow. Some of his students formed the record label Electric Honey and launched Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro.

Rankine and Mackenzie tried to work on new material in the 90s. Demos appeared on the 2000 ‘Double Hipness’ compilation.

Billy Mackenzie died in 1997 at age 39.

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Tagged as: 80s, Alan Rankine, electronica, indie, rock, The Associates, UK

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